


Be careful what you wish for

by kathime



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Emperor Kylo Ren, Empress Rey, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 04:49:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17135264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kathime/pseuds/kathime
Summary: Rey has spent her life wanting to get off Jakku, and see the universe. She thought she would eventually earn enough to barter or buy her way off-planet. But the universe has other plans.





	Be careful what you wish for

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zabeta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zabeta/gifts).



Rey sighed as she walked back toward her foster father’s house, her tan colored robe trailing behind her. _Why am I putting myself through this? What happened to all my dreams of getting away from here, seeing the world?_ Her musings were interrupted by a door slamming open, Unkar Plutt’s oily face sneering out at her.

“Girl! What have I told you about wandering off during business hours? Our customers need to see a pretty face! Get back out to the stall before I take the profit you’ve cost me out of your hide!”

The beads in her hair swaying, Rey lifted her long skirts and ran past Unkar, nimbly dodging his swipe at her, to get to the front of the courtyard where their market stall had been set up for the village’s market day. The poor collection of parts from scavenged starships and speeders would not attract much business, Unkar knew, without Rey there to persuade customers as to their value.

Settling behind the counter, Rey carefully arranged the parts so that those that looked the best were towards the front. Despite being forced to do so, she truly cared about how the wares would look. She had cleaned and scavenged them herself, after all. The busy streets of Niima Outpost beckoned, and she began to call out for customers.

Despite her situation, Rey held out hope that one day, she would get off this planet, and finally see what the universe held in store for her.

_(Be careful what you wish for, it might come true in ways you might not expect.)_

His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Kylo Ren, Conqueror of the Known Systems and Protector of the Empire, was irrevocably _bored._ After defeating his corrupt predecessor, Kylo had immediately moved on to undoing what he could of the atrocities that had occurred, the least of which had been outlawing slavery in all the known systems, and _enforcing_ that ruling. But now, with his fighting days seemingly done, and the endless work of ruling a galaxy becoming more apparent every day, Kylo realized that he needed something more. _Someone_ more.

“I believe the time has come for me to choose an Empress,” he stated.

His councilors, astounded, immediately began shouting out suggestions of ladies from the nobility of various Core World planets. With a glare and a raised hand, Kylo silenced them. Silently, he rose from the black marble throne in which he had been seated and paced toward the window, gloved hands crossed behind him.

In his reflection, Kylo noted that none of the weariness that had been growing in him of late did not show in his face, and that his deep black robes, trimmed and lined with the deepest of reds, gave off a suitable aura of power that was required to keep his councilors in line. He looked every inch an Emperor, one who had defeated armies and destroyed corruption. Even if he did not feel like one.

“I want you to bring one girl from each of the worlds in my Empire,” he ordered. “I will not be marrying into the old houses of nobility.” 

Raising his voice over the protests of his council, he continued. 

“This is my command, and it will not be argued against. Go into each of my planets, and find a girl that is praised for her beauty and grace. It matters not what class she is from, because if she is chosen, she shall be above such things.”

“Chosen, your Imperial Majesty?” a councilor dared to interrupt.

“ _Chosen,”_ Kylo repeated, with a quick glare back at the culprit, “by myself, after reviewing each of them in person.”

 _If any of these idiots manage to bring anyone worthwhile,_ he mused privately to himself.

Finally turning back to face his council, Kylo scanned their faces. Sensing no outright dissent, he dismissed them.

“You have a fortnight to return with my potential brides,” he warned. Sensing imminent danger if any of them protested, not one said a word on their way out.

(In another part of the galaxy, Rey smiled as she sold part after part, her golden brown hair shining in the Jakku sun, with not a clue as to what was coming for her. Her departure that she had so wished for was coming sooner than she thought.)

The very official looking man across the square was definitely staring at her.

Rey glanced back over her shoulder, cursing her choice to wear her market day clothes, for despite her fondness for wearing the only pretty thing she owned, the cream colored skirts were cumbersome to move quickly in. 

Reaching the next street, Rey tried to pick up her pace. She didn’t want to attract any trouble; Unkar would blame her if she attracted the attention from the wrong people. And the man in the fine uniform of the Empire was the worst kind. Had they found out about Unkar inflating the prices of their wares? Even if it was not her fault, Rey knew, to the bottom of her soul, that Unkar would place the blame on her and get away with it, leaving her to deal with the consequences. 

Half panicked already, she did not notice how close the man had gotten to her.

“Miss?”

She whirled, already braced for the worst.

“Y-yes?” she stammered. “Can I help you, sir?”  
 _Best not to attract trouble,_ she thought. _Act docile and harmless, and they will leave me alone._

“Are you Rey, who sells for Unkar Plutt?” he asked.

Her heart dropped.

“Why do you ask?” she replied.

As if sensing her nervousness, the man smiled, and replied, “She has been chosen as a bride for his Imperial Majesty. Are you she?”

 _What?! ME, chosen by the Emperor?_ Rey thought, shocked. _But I’m nobody. Shouldn’t he marry some princess from the Core Worlds, and not a scavenger from some backwater planet?_

“Yes,” Rey finally replied, “but -”

“Oh thank the _Maker,”_ the man exclaimed, his face breaking into lines of relief as he smiled at her again. “I’m Finn, I work for the one of the Emperor’s Council. Sorry for scaring you before, but I’ve been searching for you for hours.”

Still shocked, Rey replied, “But _why me?”_

“Because when I asked for you in the village, everyone had high praise for you. Said that you were always kind, tried to be fair, and that it was not fair that someone as good as you are forced to work for someone like Plutt. But I can help you. Do you want to leave?” Finn asked.

It didn’t take long for Rey to decide. Anywhere was better than here, and hadn’t she been wishing just the other day to escape? Maybe the Emperor wouldn’t even pick her. The whole town had been talking about who would be chosen as Empress. Of course he wouldn’t actually choose her. And when she was not chosen, she would be free to go anywhere she wanted.

“Yes.”

_(Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.)_

After days of travel to the Core, Rey was exhausted and wary. The fine clothes Finn had given her to appear before the Emperor were somewhat stifling, as was the makeup and jeweled pins holding her hair in a complicated braided style favored by the women of the capital. After spending her life in the relatively quiet Niima Outpost on Jakku, the city-planet of Coruscant was at once both overwhelming and exhilarating. 

Looking out the viewport of the speeder, Rey marveled at the buildings that seemed to have no end, and the multi-layered lanes of traffic that went every which way around them, like bees around a massive hive.

But the most impressive sight was yet to come.

The palace appeared as if from a dream, its blush colored marble columns supporting a magnificent copper roof, with multiple courtyards and pools of crystal clear water appearing in various places in the many levels of the building. Green fields of grass and great fields of wildflowers surrounded the main building, giving the appearance of a natural paradise in the bustling city. 

Despite her discomfort, Rey could not help but be enchanted by the serene beauty of the place she was being taken. _If the Emperor had built such a place for his home,_ she thought, _he must not be all bad. Maybe his temper has been exaggerated._

Rey kept these small hopes to herself as she was led into the palace and told to join the other brides, all dressed in gowns of many colors, all looking much more beautiful than her. Her discomfort returned. Why was she, a little brown sparrow, among these many feathered peacocks? She was nothing compared to them. She reassured herself that she did not expect anything to come of this meeting with the Emperor, that she was taking her chance to free herself. _After this meeting,_ she told herself, _I’m getting on the next transport out of here and going to see where the wind takes me._

The doors at the front of the hall where the brides had been waiting opened, and the servants of the palace arranged the girls into groups that would be taken to the Emperor separately. Rey had been placed into the third group.

“The first group may enter,” called a servant, and the designated girls entered the throne room anxiously, many with excitement clear on their faces. They returned in less than ten minutes. Every one of them looked devastated, with some obviously trying to hid their anger or tears from the girls left in the room. They were quickly escorted out.

Rey watched as the second group was called, now becoming even more nervous. If such a beautiful group of girls had been rejected, what would he do to her?

She almost hyperventilated in anxious fear as the second group returned quicker than the last.

Her steps seemed heavy as she walked toward the throne room with the third group of girls. Her emerald green dress trailed behind her as she walked, the shimmering gold trim sparkling in the lights. The white gems in her earrings swayed as she walked into the unknown. And hoped she would remain free at the end of it.

Kylo was annoyed, no he was _furious._ Two weeks he had given them, and these girls were all that they could find? Not a genuine one in the bunch, all obviously chosen by his councilors to curry favor with him. None had the courage to look him in the eye. None had the courage to answer him in any manner but what they thought he wanted to hear. What a bunch of pretty airhead fools. At this rate, he would never find an Empress he could train to become his equal.

Kylo looked up, glowering from his throne on the dais as the next group of girls were lead in. Heads bowed, they stood before him. He stepped down from the dais and walked down the line, dismissing one after the next in his mind as not one had looked up as he approached. As he neared the end of the line, the small girl in the green dress peeked up at him from under her lashes. Their eyes met. And he felt his world stop.

_(There you are. Where have you been hiding? It feels like I’ve been waiting for you forever.)_

Rey trembled as the Emperor’s black boots stepped nearer, his steps loud in the silence. 

_Why did he not speak?_

As he looked at the girl beside her, she risked a glance to see what he looked like. Out of curiosity more than anything. Long black boots encased strong legs leading to a very _obviously_ muscled torso with shoulders so broad she felt her knees go weak at the sight of them. He was so _big._

His face was open in a way she had not expected; she felt that she could learn his every mood from his expression. She sensed that he was dissatisfied; and that, beneath the almost disgruntled expression on his face, a weariness that could not be soothed was growing. As she felt her face softening in sympathy, his eyes went to her. As if to a magnet, she felt herself drawn toward him. His awed expression allowed her to see how brown his eyes were, and that, beneath the rumored temper she had yet to see, he might just be a normal man who wanted for companionship. At last, the Emperor spoke.

“It’s you,” he breathed. “You are my Empress.”

( _Be careful what you wish for,_ the universe whispered. _For you might just get it._ )


End file.
